In the heat of summer, people often feel the heat is unbearable. At this time, a piece of chilled watermelon can not only quickly quench your thirst, but also bring an unprecedented cooling feeling, and the chilled watermelon is a perfect match for summer!
Summer watermelon can always be on Weibo hot search, such as "three taboos for eating watermelon in summer", "foods that can't be eaten with watermelon", etc., is there really so many taboos for eating watermelon? I still have to think so much about eating a watermelon?
Let's bust these rumors one by one today!
Watermelon can't be eaten with crayfish?
Let's start with the rumor that "watermelon can't be eaten with crayfish", people often worry that crayfish will contain pentavalent arsenic, which is mainly due to concerns about the living environment of crayfish.
Arsenic may be present in some water bodies due to pollution, and aquatic organisms, such as crayfish, may indeed absorb trace amounts of arsenic from the environment.
Theoretically, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is reductive and can reduce pentavalent arsenic to trivalent arsenic. However, this reaction needs to be carried out under specific conditions, including high concentrations of vitamin C and proper pH.
Under normal dietary conditions, the amount of vitamin C and pentavalent arsenic in foods and the environment are not suitable for this reaction.
If, under certain conditions, vitamin C reduces pentavalent arsenic to trivalent arsenic, trivalent arsenic is indeed more toxic than pentavalent arsenic. However, the likelihood of this chemical reaction occurring within the human digestive system is extremely low, as the pH and environment in the gastrointestinal tract are not suitable for this reaction.
In addition, there are multiple mechanisms in the body that can effectively eliminate and detoxify small amounts of arsenic compounds.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the safe limit for arsenic in drinking water is 10 micrograms per liter. Long-term exposure to arsenic above this limit increases a variety of health risks, including skin lesions, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The lethal dose for acute arsenic poisoning is about 1 to 4 milligrams (mg) per kilogram of body weight.
According to studies, the amount of arsenic in crayfish in some heavily polluted water bodies can reach tens to hundreds of micrograms per kilogram.
However, with 100 micrograms (0.1 mg) per kilogram of arsenic in crayfish, we can estimate how much crayfish need to be consumed to achieve the risk of acute arsenic poisoning.
In adults weighing 70 kg, the minimum dose for acute arsenic poisoning is about 70 mg (1 mg/kg). While each kilogram of crayfish contains 0.1 mg of arsenic, 70 mg of arsenic is equivalent to eating 700 kg of crayfish. Obviously, under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for people to consume such a large amount of crayfish in a short period of time.
Therefore, the risk of acute arsenic poisoning from crayfish consumption is extremely low with a normal diet. The reality is that both crayfish and watermelon are safe foods. As long as they are from legitimate sources and tested, they do not pose a health hazard.
Of course, considering that there are many ways to cook crayfish, many of which have a strong flavor and put a greater burden on the digestive system, such crayfish may cause gastrointestinal discomfort no matter what fruit they eat together, but this has nothing to do with arsenic poisoning.
It should be noted that there are many variations of this rumor, usually in the form of "a seafood or river fresh + a fruit will cause arsenic poisoning", so don't take it seriously.
Watermelon can't be eaten with peaches?
Rumors about the fact that eating watermelon with peaches can cause bloating and diarrhea, first of all, watermelon and peaches are both fruits that are rich in water and fiber, and both contain high levels of fructose.
For some people who have poor absorption of fructose, these fruits may cause gastrointestinal upset. Similar to lactose intolerance, which causes flatulence when drinking milk, fructose malabsorption is the body's inability to effectively absorb fructose in the small intestine, resulting in symptoms such as bloating and diarrhea.
However, this condition mainly depends on the gastrointestinal health of the individual and is not universal.
Fructose intolerance does affect the intake of certain high-fructose foods, including watermelon and peaches. If you can't eat watermelon and peaches together because of fructose intolerance, then eating these fruits separately may also trigger symptoms.
In addition, there are many other foods that contain a lot of fructose that also need to be avoided or limited.
Overall, eating watermelon with peaches doesn't necessarily cause bloating and diarrhea unless the person who eats it has malabsorption of fructose or has irritable bowel syndrome.
Healthy people are generally safe to consume in moderation and help with hydration and nutrients, but the only thing to be careful about is not to eat too much at once just because the fruit is delicious.
Can't eat chilled watermelon?
The content in the rumors claims that chilled watermelon can cause gastrointestinal upset and even induce heart disease, which is a misconception.
Eating chilled watermelon in moderation will not have adverse health effects. In fact, watermelon is rich in water and vitamins that help replenish water and electrolytes lost during the summer. And chilled watermelon in moderation will not only make us feel cooler, but also make watermelon taste sweeter.
Authoritative medical institutions such as the United States Heart Association do not list chilled food as a trigger for heart disease. The main risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, etc., which are not related to the consumption of chilled watermelon.
At the same time, it is rumored that watermelon should be refrigerated at 15°C, but the refrigeration temperature of household refrigerators is generally between 1°C and 4°C, and 15°C refrigerators are not common! The temperature range of 1-4°C helps preserve the freshness of food and extend its shelf life while preventing the growth of bacteria.
It should be noted that the refrigerator is not a sterilizer or a sterile box, it can only reduce the reproduction rate of germs, but cannot destroy germs.
Therefore, it is best to wrap the watermelon in a layer of plastic wrap before putting it in the refrigerator to reduce the chance of contact with germs, and don't let the watermelon stay in the refrigerator for too long.
Watermelon can't be eaten before or after meals?
There are also rumors claiming that eating watermelon before or after meals can cause dilution of gastric juice, affecting the digestion and absorption of food, leading to bloating and stomach pain.
There is no basis for this claim, the main component of gastric juice is dilute hydrochloric acid, whose function is to aid digestion and sterilization. The amount and concentration of gastric juice is automatically regulated by the body and is not significantly diluted by small amounts of water. Liquid intake in a normal diet does not affect the digestion of gastric juices.
Watermelon, on the other hand, is mainly made up of water and is rich in vitamins A, C and antioxidants such as lycopene. These ingredients are good for health and can help replenish water and boost metabolism.
Watermelon can be consumed in moderation, either before or after meals, and will not have adverse effects on the digestive system.
It should be noted that the previous talk is about adults, and young children need a lot of nutrients for growth and development but the amount of food is small and lack of self-control, when eating watermelon and other fruits, it is best to have a long interval with the main meal, such as more than half an hour, so as not to let the baby eat melon to last, which affects the nutritional intake of the main meal.
In summary, moderate consumption of watermelon before or after meals will not affect the function of gastric juice, nor will it have adverse effects on the digestive system, and there is no risk associated with eating watermelon before or after meals.
【Summary】
We can clearly see that many of the rumors about the watermelon diet are unsupported by science.
Watermelon is not only a great choice for cooling off the heat in summer, but its rich nutrient content also has many health benefits. Whether eaten with crayfish, peaches, or before or after meals, watermelon consumption in moderation will not have adverse health effects.
We should decide whether to eat watermelon or not, as well as how much and how to eat it based on our own health, and there is no need to let rumors on the Internet affect our mood to eat melon happily.
Source: Scientific refutation of rumors, popular science of People's Daily Online